Finland and Sweden are being dragged into NATO structures

Summary of Disinformation

There is a cyber operation centre deployed in Finland with the help of the US.

Finland and Sweden are being dragged into NATO structures. An agreement was signed in May providing for their full-fledged participation in NATO drills and for possible use of its troops and weapons control systems. In exchange, NATO has been granted unimpeded access to the airspace and territorial waters of these countries.

Finland has not set up any cyber-operation centre with the assistance of the United States, as Shoygu indicates. Instead, Finland hosts a multinational European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats, which was established in 2017.

Finland does not participate fully in NATO exercises nor does it have full access to NATO’s command-and-control system, contrary to what Shoygu claims. Moreover, NATO does not have unrestricted access to Finland’s airspace and territorial waters. Any foreign vessels or aircraft wishing to enter Finland’s territory must have authorisation from the relevant authority, which in Finland is the Defence Forces. Such authorisation is always case-specific and subject to national discretion.

Shoygu is incorrect in saying that Finland is being pulled into NATO. Finland’s position on its military non-alignment is clear and Finland makes its security policy choices independently.

Swedish Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist has said that Shoygu's statement was misleading and that Nato countries still require "special permission" to enter Swedish territory.

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The Disinformation Review focuses on key messages carried in the international information space, which have been identified as providing a partial, distorted or false view or interpretation and spreading key pro-Kremlin messaging. It does not necessarily imply, however, that the outlet concerned is linked to the Kremlin or pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. The Review is a compilation of cases from the East Stratcom Task Force’s wide network of contributors and is therefore not considered an official EU position. Likewise, the news articles are based on the analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force, so information and opinions expressed are not considered an official EU position.